I was born and raised in the small town of Bristol, Indiana before I left the state to Miami University (Oxford, OH) in 1997. I commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served as an officer in the Marine Corps from 2001-2011. I fulfilled a variety of billets and duties pertaining to command and staff in operations, logistics, training, and education. I was assigned to three commands during six years of service at Camp Pendleton, CA (2002-2008) and deployed to Iraq three times in support of the Global War on Terror. I completed my Marine Corps career as the Marine Officer Instructor at Jacksonville University where I served as the senior Marine on staff responsible for the mental, moral, and physical preparation of Marine Officer Candidates. It was at JU where I really settled into my passion for teaching and helping people get more fit and healthy. I see poor diet and exercise as two of the biggest problems facing Americans today and am wholly dedicated to doing my part to reverse that trend for anyone committed to changing their lifestyle for the better. My wife, Cathy, and I have been married since 2004 and we live in Arlington with our Doberman, Blitz, and two cats, Bleu and Taji.